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Proposition 20 Redistricting of Congressional Districts
Should the state Constitution be amended to have the Citizens Redistricting Commission redistrict for the U.S. House of Representatives, to change existing redistricting criteria, and to reduce the redistricting time-line?
Prop 20 makes it a law for the Citizen Redistricting Commission to also do redistricting of the House (They recently were created to redistrict only State Legislative and Board of Equalization districts.) I'm surprised that they don’t already do this. Personally something practical and functional should be the ones making these lines, such as the DWP, post office or the phone companies. Because they design their lines based on straight up population. But it is possible that it wouldn't work because it relies on a population with an income. Postal Services would still work. Having politicians draw the lines? Are you kidding me. It's fucked up the way they are now, have you seen the district lines in LA? They are obviously skewed to contain or omit certain communities. And Politicians want to keep it like that. Because it keeps their existing districts "safe". The only argument that the NO folks have is that it "costs" tax dollars to man these commissions, and that these commissions can become "another" unaccountable bureaucracy. But duh, of course they don't want these guys, because these commissions can weaken some politician’s clout. But that's just fear mongering, the reality is that these commissions have a job, and that job is drawing of district lines, and that is it. Legislatures currently draw their own lines, now WHO can abuse this power? Or should I say, who HAS been abusing this power. YES, take that power away!
Joe Borfo responding to a comment by FIXMYLIFE
10.29.10 - 1:40 pm
If marijuana growing is lucrative only because, under the current quasi-legal circumstances, the price is kept artificially high(), then the growers are getting a de facto subsidy. I think agricultural subsidies can be a good thing if they lead to a greater public benefit, but I don't think that's the case here.
I support 19 partly because it may bring in tax revenue (probably not as much as its most vocal supporters claim, since prices would fall) but mostly because it does away with the comically dishonest pretense that marijuana cards are primarily issued for medical use. Make it properly legal and do away with the half-assery of the current system.
Just go out there and vote?!!!!?? @#%&*@! Vote for what! Don't go and out vote, take the time to know what your voting. I have more respect for the person that doesn't vote because they are not informed on what and who they are voting for vs. the person who votes just to vote and doesn't know what the hell they voted for.
If your a die in the woods Democrat Prop 20 might be something you would NOT want to vote for. It takes that power to create Congressional districts away from the Democratic majority in Sacramento. Is this really fair? It gives the Democrats and the Republican Five seats each. Give the minority party or those that decline to state four votes. The final maps have to be from nine YES votes with at least three people from each the Representative Groups. This means that those four minority parties can swing it to one Party or the other. Who actually says these minority members won't be plants from one party or the other?
Has anybody seen the results of the Board of Equalization districts that the Citizen Redistricting Commission has already drawn up? What kind of job have they actually done> Here is the application to sit on the Citizens Redistricting Commission.
My big question is WHO APPOINTS proportion representation. In proportional reprenstation voting system ifyou are Libertarian or a Green and a certain percentage of people say vote 10% for a Libertarian Representation, the Libertarian Party gets 10% of the seats, the Greens would get whatever percentage of seats as the votes they received.
Regarding Prop 22, yes Borfo you should pay more property taxes for those that use the park system. Homeowners who may never use the State Park System should pay for those who do. Why should those who use the park pay the fee to use it, homeowner like you should pay for it. Especially since you are working all the time trying to raise a family and may never be able to make it out to the Parks. Make it harder on yourself Joe. Pay more taxes for services you may never use.
As for a non-home owner like myself , I'll enjoy the Parks on your dime.
Check out Jimi Castillo for Lt Governor. He was on American Indian Airways the other day. His thoughts on the office of Lt. Gov move for positives action for the Prison system and our environment.
Even though Lara Wells isn't as eloquent in speaking as Jerry Brown is, she has a great plan for a State Bank that could easily solve our states financial woes and get the states economy rolling again.
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sexy responding to a comment by Joe Borfo
10.30.10 - 2:57 am
Please don't read that last one, it wasn't meant to be posted. I don't know what happened. Its all jacked up
Just go out there and vote?!!!!?? @#%&*@! Vote for what! Take the time to know what and who your voting for. I have more respect for the person that doesn't vote because they are not informed on what and who they are voting for vs. the person who votes just to vote and doesn't know what the hell they voted for.
If your a die in the woods Democrat Prop 20 might be something you would NOT want to vote for. It takes that power to create Congressional districts away from the Democratic majority in Sacramento.
Is this really fair? I ask this question seriously.
It gives the Democrats and the Republican Five seats each. Give the minority party or those that decline to state four votes. The final maps have to be from nine YES votes with at least three people from each the Representative Groups. This means that those four minority parties can swing it to one Party or the other. Who actually says these minority members won't be plants from one party or the other?
Has anybody seen the results of the Board of Equalization districts that the Citizen Redistricting Commission has already drawn up? What kind of job have they actually done> Here is the application to sit on the Citizens Redistricting Commission.
My big question is WHO APPOINTS proportion representation. In proportional reprenstation voting system if you are Libertarian or a Green and a certain percentage of people say vote 10% for a Libertarian Representation, the Libertarian Party gets 10% of the seats, the Greens would get whatever percentage of seats as the votes they received, same with all the other partys.
Regarding Prop 22, yes Borfo you should pay more property taxes for those that use the park system. Homeowners who may never use the State Park System should pay for those who do. Why should those who use the park pay the fee to use it? Homeowner like you should pay for it, especially since you are working all the time trying to raise a family and may never be able to make it out to the Parks. Make it harder on yourself Joe. Pay more taxes for services you may never use.
As for a non-home owner like myself , I'll enjoy the Parks on your dime.
Check out Jimi Castillo for Lt Governor. He was on American Indian Airways the other day. His thoughts on the office of Lt. Gov move for positives action for the Prison system and our environment.
Even though Lara Wells isn't as eloquent in speaking as Jerry Brown is, she has a great plan for a State Bank that could easily solve our states financial woes and get the states economy rolling again.
I give up. No wonder I don't post anymore. I can't even do it right. Send me a email if you want to read what I was trying to write. This jiberish above is not what I meant to write. hansomebwonderful2001@yahoo.com
I know the current growers have a vested interest in keeping the laws as they are since it keeps their product at a premium price. But I think there is a lot of good that can come to other industries if prop 19 passes. It could bring more business to the service industry, travel and hospitality, the restaurant business, agriculture and agricultural supplies, and of course selling marijuana at retail level. People can really get creative with it.
I heard a story on KPCC about how some of the growers in Humboldt are worried because of the drop in price while others see the potential of turning Humboldt into the Napa of marijuana.
Plus, let's not forget the other businesses that would see prices fall because of legalization, namely, drug dealers and their suppliers. I'm all for that. And hey, how much of our tax dollars can be cut from budgets that enforce marijuana laws?
graciela responding to a comment by nathansnider
10.30.10 - 12:35 pm
What makes you think they are going to legalize the hippy grass is bad for California every is going to be growing it at home this people won't collect taxes is not going to happen..imagine if they do legalize that shit 20 years from now I don't want my kid to be a box head..
Pretty spot on. I have issues with 21 and 22 but my issues with 22 directly effect 21. Where is the money GUARANTEED to go to State Parks, and not diverted into something else.
I'm voting for 19 because I think marijuana should be legal. Period. If it helps the current growers, great. If it puts them out of business, oh well--they had a great ride for a hundred years making gigantic piles of money selling something on the black market that should have been available over the counter at the corner store all along. Voting against 19 to "help" current California growers would be like voting against repealing Prohibition eighty years ago so that Al Capone could keep his job (and his body count).
This is rare for anyone to say. The only incumbent that I feel not only deserves to be re-elected, but that we are better off for having her serve is Debra Bowen Secretary of State.
sexy responding to a comment by monovsstereo
11.2.10 - 3:27 am
I think the argument that all of a sudden everyone will grow pot in their backyards and California won't see tax revenue is quite frankly, bullshit. Just think about all of the plants that people are allowed to grow and how many people actually attempt to gro them. It's so much easier to buy a pack of cigarettes than to grow tobacco. You really couldn't feed yourself steadily through the year if you grew veggies in a 25 sq. ft. plot. So growing pot won't be any more convenient than just buying it outright. Let's face it, people are lazy and not everyone has the space or the expertise to attempt to grow pot.
I'm an avid gardener with over 40 veggie plants growing and I still have to go to the grocery store for veggies.
graciela responding to a comment by El_Fredone
11.2.10 - 9:46 am
So I've been hearing a lot of No on 19 now..... They are saying dispensaries will be shut down and prices will skyrocket...also they will bring the THC content down....??
How would prices skyrocket? If it's legal and you have more producers entering the market then prices should fall. There will be more supply. Prices will also fall because marijuana would no longer be a premium good with the added value it encourages because of its illegal status. It may be taxed heavily, depending on what laws cities put on their books, but the actual cost pre-tax should be lower.
If dispensaries are shut down, then that has to do with their business model, not with the actual laws. If a current dispensary has too much competition and can't compete and beat their rivals then yes, they will go out of business. It's capitalism, happens all the time in every business sector. Does that mean we should protect the few that have the privilege of growing and selling medical marijuana just because legal pot means more competition for them?
graciela responding to a comment by FIXMYLIFE
11.2.10 - 12:06 pm
Again, correct. Making them "legal" would force them to follow the same rules any other business in California has to follow. Pot would become regulated just like alcohol, which is regulated very strictly - everyone is just used to it. For example, 4LOKO is still extremely cheap for something that is heavily taxed and regulated. The same would go for weed. There will be a lot of hurdles, and even if the law passes, we might not see pot at RiteAID any time soon. In-fact, current dispensaries would have a leg up because they are already established. Same with their growers. Their infrastructure is already in place.
The only problem that I see, given that it passes at all, is that BIG BUSINESS will jump into the game. And we'll have a choice to buying Fixie-Gear, Free-Range, Organic and Sustainable Pot at a premium, or the really cheap shit from Phillip-Morris.
It has a lot of issues.
It wont be like booze at all.
For instance, p19 will make it a crime for consuming in front of a minor even for patients.
There are lots of stupid restrictions in the legislation, that IMO do nothing to convince ppl theat may have been on the fence, but really made it a BLAH decision for ppl who actually care about this law passing AND being good legislation.
Oh well.
I look forward to the Fed having again to defend the position that Marijuana is a Sched. 1 "a dangerous drug with no medicinal value"
eventually people are going to call bullshit on that
eventually.
trickmilla responding to a comment by the reverend dak
11.2.10 - 1:10 pm
I don't know if you can access the link, but I have been doing some reading...I plan on voting no....but only after I've been reading...I was so mislead. Prop 215 is way better...but 19 could supercede 215 and fuck shit up.
Voting for elected representatives will continue to be a blah either/ or (D/R) decision until we get instant run off voting.
Instant run off voting allows people to pick their first choice and their second choice so if the person they voted for does not get elected their second choice will get their vote.
I think that is a single gesture that would instantly change our political system by giving 3 and 4th party candidates a shot in hell to get elected to national offices.
The other piece of the puzzle is election finance reform.
We have been going 180° in the wrong direction since the supreme court settled citizens united decision.
I truly can not understand the argument that corporations have a free speech right.
That makes no sense to me. Don't all the people who own the corporation have a free speech right that can be expressed? Why do they get an additional say in our political process.
Usually I consider peoples motives on various issues to be pretty nuanced. Thisng usually are not, in my opinion chalked up to a solitary impulse. Everybody I know is more complicated than that.
But "protecting" the political "free speech rights" of corporations to me the only explanation is the obvious and most cynical one: That people in power side with corporations not based on laws, values, or ethics but purely to protect their own power.
Right now secret cash funding elections, is the most dispiriting thing to me about our political process.
I was just thinking about The Corporation as I read trick's question about how corporations can have first amendment rights. I think the comparison the movie makes is that since a corporation is a legal entity under the 14th amendment and it has the same rights as a person. Being a person, a corporation's "personality" is that of a psychopath.
graciela responding to a comment by buckchin
11.2.10 - 3:56 pm
I smoked a fat bowl right infront of the line in my car...then went inside reaking of ganja..and voted HIGH!! :D I'm glad prop 19 failed!! Now the feds can't regulate as easily!!
fortunately many of the tea party douchebags went down in flames.
Miller and Buck looking bad, Angle and O'Donell are out of it.
I think Rand Paul is relatively decent, I don't mind that he won.
He and his dad seem to be more on the Libertarian bent, which I don't think is very practical, but I respect much more than the idiotic religious zealots who make up most of the republican party.
And give it up for John Boener the First Orange-American to make speaker of the house.
Progress happens!
The feds can shut down California Medical Marijuana whenever they want to.
There would be a political price to pay. But it is 100% within their power as the Supreme Court has already backed up the Bush Administration's arrests of medical marijuana providers/ patients.
Obama is choosing not to prosecute MM.
I'm glad it died too. Hopefully we can get better legalization legislation.
I know personally, I was very reticent to publicly support 19 because it was such an ugly law.
I think it died from lack of support from pro-legalization voters who actually read the law and decided it was shit.
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